فصل 12

Chapter 12

AFTER THAT, CALL forgot about Alex and Master Joseph completely.

“I command you to never listen to my commands again, okay?” Call said.

“I heard you the first five times,” Aaron told him, sitting on a rock and looking out toward the river. “But I don’t know if that will work. I have no idea how long your commands last on me.” Call felt cold all over. He remembered when he’d told Aaron to knock it off with Tamara, and Aaron had immediately shut up. Or when he’d told Aaron to go to sleep, and Aaron had done it. You should just concentrate on getting better, he’d said, the moment he brought Aaron back to life. And Aaron, who’d been through a huge trauma, had said, Okay.

How had he missed it?

He couldn’t lie to himself any more about it. Aaron wasn’t okay, maybe wasn’t even Aaron. This Aaron looked pale and weird and worried. This Aaron did whatever Call said. Maybe he always would. Call couldn’t think of anything more horrible.

“Okay. So you’re not fine,” Call said slowly. “Not right now. Tonight, let’s go down to the experiment room and figure out what’s going on.” “What if you can’t find anything?” Aaron asked. “You’ve succeeded far more than Constantine Madden ever did. I am mostly here. It’s just that I’m not — I’m not supposed to be.” This time Call didn’t shout at him to shut up, although he still wanted to. “What does that even mean?” “I don’t know,” Aaron said, and there was more animation in his voice than Call had expected. “I’m not — it takes a lot of concentration to pay attention to what’s going on. Sometimes I feel like I’m slipping away. And sometimes I feel like I could do bad things and not really feel anything about them. So, you see, I really can’t be the person who tells you right from wrong, Call. I really, really can’t.” Call wanted to protest like he had before, but this time he stopped himself. He thought of the flat look in Aaron’s eyes, the way he hadn’t understood why he was supposed to care if the people in the Magisterium died. He couldn’t keep insisting Aaron was fine. If Aaron believed something was wrong, then he owed it to Aaron to believe him.

And at least Aaron could tell. That had to mean something. If he wasn’t Aaron, he wouldn’t have been bothered about how different he felt.

“We can fix this,” Call said instead.

“Death isn’t the same as a flat tire,” Aaron said.

“We have to stay positive,” said Call. “We just need to —”

“Someone’s coming.” Aaron stood up and pointed back toward the house. The front door was open and a line of mages, headed by Master Joseph, was marching toward them.

Call stood up, too. With Tamara and Jasper gone, Call’s plans of escape had become vague and half-formed. He’d been distracted by Aaron’s return and he’d thought that Master Joseph had been distracted, too. He’d figured he had more time.

Aaron looked up. Call followed his gaze — the sky was heavy with iron-gray clouds, and through them Call could see huge shapes wheeling.

One of them broke through the clouds. It was a massive air elemental, with clear, ragged wings. On its back was Anastasia, her silver-and-white armor stained and dirty.

Her elemental landed in the field behind Call and Aaron, sending a wave of air that flattened the grass all around her in a circle. Call glanced about — they were effectively trapped between Anastasia on one side and Master Joseph on the other.

What was going on?

“Callum!” Master Joseph reached them first. Call noticed two things immediately: Alex wasn’t with him, and his coat was splashed with some questionable-looking fluid. “The time has come.” Call exchanged a look with Aaron. “Time for what?”

“Tamara and Jasper were able to reach the Magisterium,” said Anastasia, approaching them. Her elemental waited in the field behind her, rippling a little in the breeze. “The Assembly will soon know our location and what you’ve done.” “It’s time for us to reveal ourselves, to show the world the power we have,” said Master Joseph. “Hugo, did you bring the machine?” Call and Aaron both stared as Hugo handed Master Joseph an enormous glass jar. Inside it, gray and black air swirled.

Tornado phone, Call mouthed at Aaron, who nodded slowly.

With a flourish, Master Joseph ripped the lid from the jar. The air swirled up around them violently. Anastasia’s air elemental made a startled sound and disappeared with a pop.

Call moved closer to Aaron, whose hair was whipping across his eyes. The air expanded outward, slashing through the branches of the trees, circling the space where they stood.

“Master Rufus!” Master Joseph shouted. “Assembled mages! Show yourselves!” It was like looking at a fuzzy television set. Slowly their images evolved, and Call could see the Assembly room and the green-robed mages there. He recognized some of them, like Tamara’s parents, and of course the mages of the Magisterium — Master Milagros and Master North, Master Rockmaple, and, sitting with his shoulders hunched, his bald head gleaming, Master Rufus.

They must have come together like this for one reason: to discuss how to defeat Callum Hunt, the Enemy of Death.

Call felt his stomach tighten at the sight of his teacher. But it was nothing compared to the feeling inside him a moment later when he saw who sat next to Rufus — Jasper, in the white uniform of Fourth Year, and Tamara, also in white, her hair in neat braids. Her wide, dark eyes seemed to stare out of the spell’s vision, as if she were looking right into Call’s soul.

It was Tamara’s father who stepped forward, hand on her shoulder. “This is the last time we will offer you surrender, Master Joseph. The last war cost us all, but it cost you, too. You lost your sons, you lost Constantine, and you lost your way. If we go to battle again, there will be no brokering of peace. We will kill you and every Chaos-ridden thing we can find.” Call shuddered, thinking of Havoc, who was probably hiding behind a tree.

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Master Joseph said. “You try to argue as though you are in a position of strength, when we have the key to eternity. Is it because Tamara and Jasper ran back to you with news of our stronghold? If I was afraid of that getting out, I would have cut their throats when I had the chance.” Tamara glared at him, while Jasper took a step back. His mother was beside him, but Call couldn’t spot his father anywhere.

“You don’t understand,” Master Joseph went on. “No one cares about your ridiculous war. Mages want their loved ones back. They want to live forever. The only way you could get the mage world on your side is to deny what is standing right beside me.” With that, he put an arm around Aaron, who stepped out of his embrace.

“Say something,” Master Joseph told Aaron.

“I have nothing to say,” Aaron said to the mages. “I’m not on your side.” Call expected Master Joseph to yell at Aaron or try to stop him from speaking. But instead a wide smile spread over his face.

A hush went over the mages. Master Rufus raised his head from his hands. His face looked older, more lined. “Aaron? Is that really you?” “I — I don’t know,” Aaron said.

But the Assembly was already in pandemonium. Whatever Tamara and Jasper had told them, Call thought, they hadn’t really believed that Aaron had been brought back. They must have thought Aaron was Chaos-ridden, that Master Joseph was delusional. That Call was — What had they thought Call was?

Master Rufus was looking at him now. His dark eyes were resigned. Disappointed. “Callum,” he said. “You did this? You raised Aaron from the dead?” Call looked down at his feet. He couldn’t stand to meet Master Rufus’s eyes.

“Of course he did,” said Master Joseph. “The soul is the soul. Its essence doesn’t change. He’s always been Constantine Madden and he always will be.” “That’s not true!”

Call looked up, startled, to see who had defended him. It was Tamara. She had her fists clenched at her sides. She wasn’t looking at him, but she had said it. Did that mean she didn’t believe what she’d said before, that he really was the Enemy?

Tamara’s parents shushed her, pulling her to the side and almost out of Call’s view, just as Master Joseph snorted in contempt.

“You are being very foolish,” he said. “You think that if you attack us, we will be a small force — as Tamara and Jasper have no doubt reported. But do you really think I have no allies among you? All over the mage world are those who have been waiting for the news that we have completed Constantine’s project. That we have conquered death. Already the messages have gone out. You may have noticed you are missing a few members …” Several Assembly members glanced around, a few toward Jasper and his mother, at the space that Jasper’s father should have occupied.

“You can’t win,” said Master Joseph. “Too many believe what we believe. What use is being born with magic if we are forbidden from profiting from it, if instead we must use it to control elementals for the good of a world that doesn’t care about us? What is the good of magic if we cannot use it to solve the largest mystery in existence — the one that science has never penetrated — the mystery of the soul. Mages from all over the world will flock to our side now that we know the dead can live again.” A few of the mages began whispering in the back of the room, pointing. Call could tell that Aaron’s presence, despite Aaron’s disavowing of Master Joseph, had rattled them. Call wondered how many of them might flock to Master Joseph’s side.

“Callum, Alastair has been frantic,” Master Rufus said. “Meet with us. Bring Aaron. Let us at least verify these claims.” “You must think we are fools!” Master Joseph shouted at the shimmering images of the mages.

“We told you,” Tamara said. “He’s being held prisoner.”

“It doesn’t look like that to me,” Assemblyman Graves said with a sniff. “And since you were involved in breaking him out of jail, we know you’ve been compromised.” “Call might have a little Stockholm syndrome,” Jasper admitted. “But Master Joseph is keeping him there. He’s keeping Aaron there, too.” “Are you holding those children captive?” Master Rufus demanded.

Master Joseph smiled. “Keeping Constantine Madden prisoner? I have always been his servant, nothing more. Call, are you being held here against your will?” Call considered what to say next. A part of him wanted to scream for help, to plead for someone to save him. But it wasn’t like the Assembly was going to be able to get him out — not right now. Better that Master Joseph believed he was on his side. If there was going to be a war, it was Call’s job to do whatever he could to help the Assembly win.

At least, he thought he was supposed to help the Assembly win.

Either way, his answer was the same.

“No,” he said, drawing himself up. “I am not a prisoner. I am Callum Hunt, the Enemy of Death reborn. And I accept my destiny.” image

“I don’t like it here,” Aaron said.

They were in Tamara’s room, or what had been Tamara’s room, sitting on the pink fluffy bed. Call’s room still had holes punched into the walls, which made it pretty chilly, and house repairs were not at the top of anyone’s to-do list.

“We won’t be here for long,” Call promised, although he only had the vaguest of plans.

Aaron shrugged. “I guess we’re not going back to the Magisterium. Not after you announced you were the Enemy of Death.” Call wrapped his arms around his knees. “Did you think I meant it?”

“Did you mean it?” Aaron’s eyes were expressionless. Call wondered what he thought. He used to be able to guess pretty well what Aaron was thinking, but not anymore. “You conquered death, after all.” “Tonight we go figure out what we can do about you,” Call said. “After that, we run.” He didn’t mention the Chaos-ridden army, which Call hoped to bring along with them. If he could figure out what was going on with Aaron tonight, then they could go. They could march across the river before dawn and there was no way Alex had enough Chaos-ridden of his own to stop them.

But what if he couldn’t? Should they go anyway? Did he really think that the mage world would accept him, especially now, with Aaron?

He remembered the faces of the Assembly and a cold pit formed in his stomach.

He thought of Anastasia’s words: You are powerful. You can’t just give up that power. The world won’t let you. It won’t allow you to simply hide and be safe. It may come to this — ruling the world or being crushed under its boot heel.

He really hoped she wasn’t right about that, but he had to admit, she’d been right about Tamara.

“It’s not going to be easy to get to the experiment room,” said Aaron. “There are so many people around. It’s chaos down there.” It was true; the whole house was in an uproar, Anastasia rushing back and forth with the younger mages to summon elementals, Master Joseph out with Hugo and a few others, scrawling defense symbols in the land around the house.

Call wanted to say something clever, like chaos was his middle name, but it was too sad. He might still be a chaos mage, but Aaron wasn’t — his magic belonged to Alex now. “Havoc’s going to help,” he said.

Havoc, on hearing his name, perked up his ears. He raced downstairs beside them, pausing at the bottom of the steps to look around with narrowed eyes and a low growl. Havoc had never much liked it here and seemed to like it less the longer they remained.

“Here’s what you have to do.” Call leaned down to tell the Chaos-ridden wolf.

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As Call and Aaron descended the stairs, Call could hear the plan working. Havoc was barking and running around, leading the mages on a merry chase. They were all trying to figure out what set him off, sure it meant the Assembly was attacking.

As Havoc scampered around, Call and Aaron went straight to the experiment room, closing the door and locking it behind them.

It was only then they realized they weren’t alone. Alex was sitting on the floor, an array of books open around him in a strange circle. He was sunken-eyed and his skin looked blotchy.

On a gurney on the other end of the room was a bizarre dead body. The corpse was that of a grown person, but with a face that appeared a grotesque parody of Drew’s more childlike features. It looked as though it had been sculpted out of flesh, but with a butter knife. It was dressed in a parody of kid clothes: a shirt with a horse on it and red jeans. Just looking at it made Call’s stomach churn.

“Uh,” he said. “Sorry. We didn’t know anyone else was in here.”

Aaron just looked at Alex silently. There might even have been a small smile playing around the corners of his mouth.

Alex pushed himself to his feet, taking a few of the books with him. He pointed a shaking finger at Call. “You! You didn’t explain what you did right. You lied.” He tried to shoulder past where Call and Aaron were standing.

“Oh no,” Call stopped him with a hand on his chest. Alex was taller than they were, but it was two to one, and Aaron was a lot more intimidating now that he was back from the dead. “You’re going to help us.” “I’m not doing anything until you explain how you brought Aaron back — the truth, not what you’ve been saying to make Master Joseph torment me.” “I did tell you the truth. You just can’t do it.”

Alex looked straight at Call. For the first time the smirk was gone from his face. He looked sincerely scared. “Why? Why wouldn’t I be able to do it? Why can’t I just reach out and find his soul?” Call shook his head. “I don’t know. I didn’t do that. We had Aaron’s body. You don’t have Drew’s. How are you supposed to find his soul?” The despair on Alex’s face was obvious, but Master Joseph wasn’t going to stop wanting his son to come back. Even if it was impossible, he was going to insist on it.

“So there’s no hope,” Alex said.

“I don’t know,” said Call. “You help me with Aaron and I’ll help you with your problem.” Alex had been studying longer than he had — he’d been going after those Evil Overlord Points that Call had been fighting against for years. And if there was any chance that Alex had the key to helping Aaron, then it was worth taking.

Alex looked at Aaron and frowned. Aaron sat down on the floor, where Alex had been, and picked up a book.

“He seems fine,” Alex grumbled. “Help you with what?”

“He’s not happy,” Call tried to explain.

Alex snorted. “Yeah, well, join the club. I’m not happy either. If I don’t bring back Drew, I’m in deep trouble. Master Joseph keeps eyeing the Alkahest.” “Maybe you shouldn’t have suggested he use it on me,” Call said unsympathetically.

Alex sighed, not really having a retort for that. “So we’re supposed to find some magical way to make Aaron happy again?” Call frowned at Aaron, sitting on the floor, flipping pages as though he wasn’t really paying attention to the conversation. “He’s not unhappy, exactly,” he said. “He’s just — not in the right place. He’s like a guy who took a train to a station and then had to get off and back on because he forgot his suitcase and now he’s going the wrong way.” “Oh yeah,” Alex said sarcastically. “That’s much clearer.”

Call didn’t want to tell Alex everything Aaron had said — that seemed private. But he tried one more time. “Aaron doesn’t have any magic. Fine, you stole his Makar abilities, but he should still be a mage, right? And he’s not. Whatever is cutting him off from magic, that could be the missing part of him that’s keeping him from feeling whole.” Alex hesitated.

“Besides,” Call added, “if you brought back Drew without magic, that wouldn’t exactly thrill Master Joseph.” Alex glared at him out of swollen eyes. “That’s true,” he said grudgingly. “All right, what are you suggesting?” “We learned how to do the soul tap at the Magisterium,” said Call. “I feel like I should try to look at Aaron’s soul. Maybe see if I can tell what the problem is.” “What am I supposed to be here for?” Alex wanted to know.

Call took a deep breath. “You’re older than us and you’ve been studying this longer. So think about what else we can check.” “And if we can’t find anything wrong?”

“I could give him more of my soul,” Call said in a low voice. “Maybe I just didn’t give him enough.” Alex shook his head. “Your funeral,” he said finally. “Aaron, get up on the experiment table.” Aaron looked over at the gurney with the corpse on it for a long moment. “No,” he said. “I won’t.” “It’s occupied, anyway,” Call said.

“We can dump the body on the floor,” said Alex while Aaron eyed him with distaste.

To prevent that, Call dragged a book-covered table from a corner to the center of the room. They cleared off the surface and Aaron climbed up on it and lay down, his hands crossed over his chest.

Call took a deep breath, feeling self-conscious, trying to remember how it had been to see Aaron’s soul before. This was the part he had to do alone. Alex didn’t deserve to see anyone’s soul, and definitely not Aaron’s.

Call closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and began. It was harder than it had been back in the Magisterium. Aaron’s resurrected body seemed to repel Call from being able to see through to the soul. It was surrounded by a kind of murkiness. He tried to hold on to memories of Aaron — Aaron laughing, and uncomplainingly eating lichen in the Refectory, and sorting sand, and dancing with Tamara. But they came dimly. What stuck out most clearly was Aaron’s body, still and cold on the gurney in this room.

He pushed himself to remember what it had been like to put a piece of his soul into Aaron — like electricity lighting up metal in the darkness. The memory washed over him and he finally felt a path open to Aaron’s presence. He saw the light of a soul, pale and clear, with a kind of golden light that was all Aaron.

But dark tendrils surrounded it, hooking it in place, worming into it the way roots of ivy worm their way into buildings until the stonework crumbles. His body seemed to pulse with chaos energy. Call reached out with his mind and felt a terrible overwhelming coldness.

The body. There was something wrong with Aaron’s body.

“What are you doing?” The doors of the experiment room burst open. Dazed, Call leaned against the table as Alex yelped and jumped backward.

It was Master Joseph, and he looked furious.